


He Deserves Better

by Spectascopes



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Underswap, Angst with a Happy Ending, Depression, Gen, Permanent Injury, Sad, i dunno its a sad story
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-04
Updated: 2018-06-28
Packaged: 2019-05-17 23:41:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,576
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14841431
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spectascopes/pseuds/Spectascopes
Summary: Sans finds out his little brother is depressed.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> a little three or four chapter sad story i've been on and off workin on

Sans sat at the kitchen table with his head in his hands. It was late- he’d already tucked Papyrus into bed after his stressful day of doctor’s appointments. Sans had the money he would have to pay back for all of them written down- the amount wasn’t large, but to the broke skeleton it was staggering.

Depression. Papyrus was depressed, and his HP was nearly depleted because of it. Sans had known something was up, that was why he’d taken his brother to the doctor’s regardless of their financial state, but this was worse than he’d feared. He wiped his face with his hands and sighed, trying to think of some way he could manage all of this. There had to be some way he could do this.

The longer he looked at the situation, the more hopeless it became. Therapy and medicine were mostly covered under their cheap, universal healthcare, but the small co-pay and the time he’d have to take off work to get Papyrus to the clinic was more than enough to make a dent in his earnings. He might very well be fired from his second job- his boss was already peeved he had to schedule around Sans’s little brother. He’d just turned eighteen, so now he could legally work full time for Muffet, but it wasn’t like she hadn’t already been slipping them money under the table, aware of the situation. She could only give them so much- Sans couldn’t accept more from her, not when she was struggling herself.

All of that was weighed down by the worry and fear he felt over the illness itself. Depression was serious- he couldn’t imagine anything worse. If a monster lost its will, things would just keep getting worse until they… dusted. Sans felt tears prick his sockets at the thought. No matter what, no matter how hard he had to work or how hungry he had to go, he would get his brother the help he needed. 

He tried to scrub away the tears. It was just too much. His shoulders were shaking before he realized. He was so tired. He was so, so tired, and now he’d have to work  _ more _ , and get less sleep, and-

“Brother?” 

Sans jerked from his stupor, immediately wiping away his tears as he saw Papyrus standing in the kitchen doorway. He was just wearing his boxers- he was fourteen, far too old for “baby pajamas” anymore.

“O-Oh, Papy!” Sans greeted, standing up from the table a bit too quickly. “I didn’t realize you were awake- what’s wrong, brother?”

Papyrus averted his eyes. He was getting so big- nearly as tall as Sans was at that point, although that wasn’t saying much. 

“You were crying,” Papyrus mumbled. He didn’t move from the doorway, and he wouldn’t meet his older brother’s eyes.

“Oh, no- I mean- I’m okay,” Sans stammered, trying to put on a reassuring smile. “I’m just tired, that’s all.”

Papyrus didn’t buy it. He was so smart, and Sans cursed himself for lying, but he couldn’t put any of this on his brother. Not when he was so young, and struggling so much already. 

The skinny monster shifted on his feet for a second. He rubbed his arm.

“Is it my fault?” 

Sans’s heart went still. He opened his mouth to reply, but his bones felt chilled and he couldn’t quite make himself speak. Papyrus glanced up at him before dropping his eyes again.

“I-Is it my fault you’re always sad?”

Sans couldn’t move forward fast enough. He wrapped his arms around his brother and held him as close as he could.

“No- no, absolutely not. I love you so much, Papy, none of this is your fault.” Sans said. A weight had settled inside of him that he desperately wanted to dispel. “And I’m- I’m not sad! I’m just… I’m just tired, is all.”

Papyrus hugged him back, sniffling a bit. It broke Sans’s heart.

“Is it my fault dad left?”

Sans shook his head, letting Papyrus press himself to his ribs. “Not at all, not even one little bit,” the older skeleton reassured. “You’re a wonderful skeleton, brother. Anybody who could abandon you is out of their mind.”

“You don’t have to do the… the medicine thing, if it's too expensive,” Papyrus murmured into Sans’s shirt. “I’ll be okay.”

Sans pulled his brother away, horrified that he would even say such a thing. Papyrus wouldn’t meet his eyes, but Sans was used to his shyness. “Papy. Depression is a very serious illness, you need to get help. We can afford it- I’ll make it work, okay?”

He was lying through his teeth. Papyrus glanced up at him for a second, but his lie was enough. The brother must have bought it, because he leaned forward and hugged Sans again.

They stayed like that for a while, until Sans picked him up and carried him back up to his room. His brother was exhausted- as soon as he was back on the mattress, he was passed out again.

Sans watched him for a moment. The dark heaviness in his chest didn’t dissipate. He left, gently closing the door behind him before he slid down and curled up against the wall. 

He couldn’t do this. Papyrus deserved better than this. He  _ needed _ better than this.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> short second chapter

The following morning, Sans sent Pap on his way to school. He was always hit with a pang when he saw his brother leaving in his ragged, hand-me-down clothes. Not that Blue’s were any better- in fact, they were probably worse.

Once Papyrus was gone, Blue called Muffet. He was supposed to work a shift, but once he got her on the line and explained the situation with Papyrus and his diagnosis, she was more than understanding and told him to do what he needed to do. Sans left out his plans for the day. He couldn’t be talked down. His heart was burning and aching, but he had to do this.

The boat ride and the walk to the castle went by in a haze. Sans tried not to think about it. He didn’t try to bargain with himself, or think of ways to make his life work. He’d been doing it for years. Maybe the reason Papyrus was depressed was  _ because _ of how poorly Sans had taken care of him. The thought nearly made Sans collapse, but it fueled him onwards.

He had to wait in line for a while before Toriel welcomed him into the throne room. 

“Hello, my friend. How may I help you today?”

Sans clutched at his chest, taking a steadying breath as he looked up at the queen.

“I… I’d like to put a child up f-for adoption.”


	3. Chapter 3

They came the next day. An agent, some tall cat-like monster Sans had never seen, accompanied by Dogamy and Dogaressa. Sans met them at the door about ten minutes before Papyrus got home from school, his bags already packed. 

“Sans Fontaine?” the cat asked hesitantly. Sans scrubbed the tears from his eyes.

“Yes. That’s me,” he answered.

“I’m Cari Clawson, I’m here to take Papyrus.”

This was real. It was happening. Sans felt a black hole blossom in his chest, but he nodded anyways.

“He’ll be home any minute. I have his bags inside.”

“Does he know he’s leaving?” Cari asked. 

“No. I… I was afraid he’d run away if I did,” Sans lied. There was no way in any universe he’d be able to tell Papyrus before they actually took him away.

“I see. Well, if we could come in and get situated… if he doesn’t know, things may get messy, but we’ll try to keep him calm.”

Sans nodded, well aware of the concerned looks the Snowdin dogs were giving him, and the worry in Cari’s eyes as the skeleton cried. 

Papyrus got home as scheduled. He came in, calling out his usual “I’m home, bro,” before it petered off as he saw the strangers sitting in his living room.

He said nothing. Sans wished a hole would swallow him up.

“Hello, Papyrus, my name is Cari,” the cat monster said in an amicable voice. “Why don’t you come sit down?”

Papyrus looked to his brother. Sans nodded, trying his best not to break down. 

Once the small skeleton was seated, anxiously shifting his feet, Cari leaned forward and sat his cup of tea down. He gave Sans a look.

“P… Papyrus,” Sans said softly. They sat next to one another on the couch, so Sans had to shift and place a hand on Pap’s shoulder. “There’s something we need to talk about.”

“Wh-What’s going on?” Papyrus asked, the nerves breaking. 

Don’t cry. Don’t cry, Sans told himself. He took a deep breath.

“Papyrus, I… we… we need to make some changes to… to your living situation.”

Papyrus said nothing. 

“I’m… I’m not capable of taking care of you.”

The hurt in Pap’s eyes was enough to make Sans take it all back. But he couldn’t, he couldn’t risk Papyrus’s life for his own soul’s wellbeing. He took a shaky breath as the dogs and Cari watched on.

“I can’t… support you. I’m not-”

“You’re giving me away?” Papyrus whimpered.

Sans couldn’t fight the tears anymore. They spilled over as he hugged his little brother tight, but Papyrus pushed him off and stood.

“They’re- they’re making you do this, right? You’re not… you’re not leaving like dad did.”

Sans couldn’t bring himself to speak. The elder skeleton was shaking.

“You can’t- you can’t- can’t leave me!” Papyrus said, frantic. He looked at the bags. “You can’t send me away, I- you’re not-”

“I’m so sorry, Papyrus, I… I can’t…” Sans rasped, nearly sobbing. “I can’t support you. You- you deserve better than this-”

“You don’t want me to go! You can’t send me away!” he shouted, so unlike his usual demeanor. Tears gathered in his sockets as the reality sunk in. “I’m not even- I’m not sick, you don’t have to pay for medicine, I'm sorry, don't leave me-”

“Please, Papyrus, try to calm down. We’re trying to do what’s best for you-” Cari began, but he was cut off as Papyrus flung himself on his brother.

“Sans, please don’t- don’t do this, please don’t let them t-take me away, I- I can’t- I don’t want to-”

Sans was frozen. He couldn’t do anything, couldn’t move or speak. A nod from Cari gave the dogs the signal, and suddenly Papyrus was grabbed under both of his arms.

“No! Let me go, let me go! Please- Sans- help me-!”

He couldn’t. Sans felt his soul crack as Papyrus, struggling, sobbing Papyrus, was dragged away.

Maybe he’d never see his brother again. He’d failed. He was as bad as their father- he was  _ worse _ than their father. He’d given Papyrus hope, and now it was getting dashed on the rocks below. This was all his fault- if he'd just worked harder- if he'd been better-

“Brother please don’t let them take me please I need you please-”

The whole world was spinning. The dogs stopped moving- or maybe that was just what Sans saw.

“M-Mr. Fontaine? Are you...?”

Sans’s soul stuttered. He felt something soft, like powder, on him. He reached a hand up and saw a fine coating of dust on his fingers.

“Oh my- my god. Dogamy, call for a medic at once-” Cari frantically ordered. The dog obeyed in horror, and Papyrus was able to tear free from Dogaressa’s grasp and vault himself into Sans’s arms. 

“What did you do?!” the young skeleton wailed, his shaking hands touching the dust on his brother’s exposed arms. “What’s- what’s happening?”

Sans couldn’t breathe. Papyrus’s face was all he could see, his tears and the fear in his sockets all he could recognize.

“Brother please, brother, stay here, don’t leave me-”

Sans didn’t remember anything after that. 


	4. Chapter 4

He woke up to an uncomfortable ache in his chest and a warm weight curled up beside him. 

It took the monster a very long moment to open his sockets. Everything hurt- his soul, his body, his sockets didn’t want to move because even that much exertion caused him pain. 

The place the warmth touched was the least painful. He finally forced his eyes open, quickly blinded by the light and the white walls and ceilings, only to look down and find his brother curled up on the bed nearby. 

A hospital. Sans groaned and tried to scratch his uncomfortably itchy arm, only to find an IV stuck into his bone. 

And the arm in question missing entirely. It took him a long, long moment to comprehend that his arm was gone, missing from the humerus down.

His first thought was how he’d afford this.

His second thought was of Papyrus- how he was still here, still curled up and well. Sleeping, it seemed.

That was enough to make the pain in his soul ease. Still, his soft groans of pain soon stirred the young skeleton from his sleep, and before he could say a word, Papyrus was over him and pressing a chaste kiss to his forehead and crying.

“Ah- ah, Pap, that hurts,” Sans said weakly, and Papyrus withdrew at once.

It was easy to see that the sleep he’d fallen into was the first in a long while. He had dark bags under his sockets and tear stains down his cheekbones. He was shaking like a leaf.

“S... Sans? You’re okay?” he breathed quietly.

“I’m okay,” Sans said, still very tired. He didn’t really know what had happened. Before he could ask, somebody poked their head into the door.

It was… Asgore?

“Ah, you’re awake,” he rumbled in his deep voice. “I’ll go and fetch the doctor.”

Sans was left in silence with his brother, his mind still racing and his left arm still missing. What…?

“Papyrus… what… happened?” 

“You… you don’t remember?” Papyrus cried, wiping the tears. “They… you… they were going to take me away, and you… you started to…”

Dust. Sans remembered now. He looked down at himself, and for the first time he noticed how soft, skinny and brittle his bones looked. His remaining arm was so thin it looked ready to break- perhaps that’s what had happened to the other.

“I thought... y-you were gonna die,” Papyrus whimpered. He was back at Sans’s side at once, and the elder swore he could feel his little brother’s soul beating against him. It was warming, calming, like sunlight, he imagined. 

The door creaked open after a few minutes of silence, and a small mouse monster came in, followed by the towering Asgore, who had to duck to get his horns in the doorway.

“Mr. Fontaine, how do you feel?”

“I’m… I’m alive,” Sans tried softly, but it only made Papyrus whine and press himself closer. Sans winced as his tender bones had pressure put on them. 

“Little one, please try not to touch your brother,” Asgore said softly, coming closer and easing Papyrus away with a massive, furry paw. “He is very sore right now.”

Papyrus didn’t say anything. He obediently took a seat in the chair next to the bed as the Doctor came forward and began checking Sans over.

“Well, you’re alive,” the mouse monster agreed, finally. They sighed. “I’m sorry, Mr. Fontaine, but we couldn’t get to you in time. Your HP has been permanently decreased, as well as your stamina. The soreness will go away with time, but… your arm was gone by the time we arrived at your home. If you hadn’t been reunited with your brother, I’m afraid the damage may have been too severe. Your HOPE was nearly depleted.”

No. No, that couldn’t be right. He needed his stamina to- to work. He looked at the mouse with tears gathering in his sockets.

“I… Isn’t there anything you can do? I need- I need to work, I can’t be… I can’t afford…”

“There will be none of that,” Asgore said sternly, making Sans flinch. He looked over at Papyrus.

“And… and my brother… he…” Sans swallowed, the tears falling as he looked at Papyrus. “I can’t afford to- to… he deserves a better life, he deserves better than me-”

“Mr. Fontaine, enough,” Asgore said, his massive figure making Sans go quiet, though he still sniffled. “It has all been squared away. Please do not worry about money, you and your brother will be taken care of.

“B-By who? There’s- there’s nobody, our father is gone, he left us, I can’t… Papyrus is depressed, I can’t afford his medicine, please-”

“You will be staying with me, for the time being,” Asgore said softly, coming closer and resting a gentle paw on Sans’s shoulder. “Your brother will get all the medicine and treatment he requires.”

Sans couldn’t believe it. He’d been working himself to the bone for years- nearly working himself dead, just to provide, there was no way this could… there was just no way…

The confusion must have been written on his face, because the doctor cut in.

“Sans, you came very very close to dusting,” he said. “And your brother’s HP was nearly snuffed out in the process of his removal. It would be torturously inhumane of us to separate the two of you and risk your deaths. As it was, your living situation was already far, far inferior to what most would consider the minimum quality of life.”

Sans said nothing. It was his fault, really, that it was like that.

“Why didn’t you tell somebody, child?” Asgore breathed, cupping Sans’s head in his paw. “We would have helped you- nobody knew that there were two orphaned children in Snowdin.”

Sans’s tears were falling heavy. He hiccuped and tried to wipe them away to no avail.

“I-I didn’t- I couldn’t fail him,” Sans cried. “Papyrus- he- he needed me, and I was so scared- that- that he’d be taken away… I-I thought… I thought that if I t-told someone…”

“Oh, child,” Asgore rasped sadly, leaning down and wrapping both Sans and his brother in a gentle embrace. “Please, do not harbor such worries any longer. Both of you are welcome in my home for as long as you may need it. I would be a sorry excuse for a King if I did not look after my people.”

Sans sniffled. Papyrus was crying as well.

“You- you mean… we can stay together?” the little skeleton asked softly.

“Yes, little one, nobody will ever try to take your brother from you again.” Asgore’s eyes turned very sad. “But you may need to help him adjust, alright?”

Sans stared down at his arm, still quite in shock that it was gone. He moved the stump around a bit and winced.

“I-I’ll do anything,” Papyrus said at once. He stood beside the bed and put a hand on the sheets covering Sans. “I promise.”

Asgore gave him a smile before the boss monster stood tall.

“Good. Sans, you must remain here for another few days, I’m afraid, so that you may be healed. I will go and get some things for Papyrus so he is more comfortable here in the meantime.”

Sans nodded slowly. Nothing had quite sunk in yet. Nothing made sense.

“Papyrus, please look after your brother, alright?” the mouse doctor said. He scrawled something on a clipboard. “If there is any intense, localized pain, please get a nurse at once.”

“Okay,” Papyrus agreed, wiping a few final tears away. 

“We’ll leave you two to your privacy, then,” Asgore said, and with that he and the doctor left the room.

Sans sighed and looked down at his brother, who was watching him with big, scared sockets.

“I guess you’ll have to be my left hand man for a while, Pap,” Sans said softly, trying to lighten the mood. He only earned a sniffle before Papyrus was back on the bed, hugging him softly. 

“I thought you were gonna die,” Papyrus cried. “You were- you just kept crying, and you kept saying my name, and- and… and telling them not to take me, I thought- I thought…”

“I’m sorry,” Sans said. 

“Why did you try to give me away?” Pap asked with sob. “Was I bad? Did I-”

“No. No, brother, you’re the best little sibling anybody could ask for. I… it was my fault. It’s all my fault, little brother, please don’t blame yourself.”

“You worked so hard, and you were always so nice to me… I didn’t know you weren’t happy,” Papyrus whimpered. “I didn’t know we didn’t have enough money, but Asgore said… he said that’s why you were giving me up.”

“I was scared that you would dust if I didn’t,” Sans explained as gently as he could. He wrapped his single arm around his brother. “I couldn’t afford your medicine, or your therapy… I thought you weren’t happy living with me.”

“But… you know I love you… I said it every night…”

Sans couldn’t stop a sudden sob from escaping. He hugged his brother as tight as he could and cried into his stained, hand-me-down hoodie.

This was real. They were going to have a home, and they were going to be together. He didn’t even care that his arm was gone- he didn’t care that it’d taken him almost dusting to do it.

Things were going to be okay now. He felt how warm Papyrus was, felt his brother’s soul so close, and he had to believe it.


End file.
